Equifax Hopes to Revitalize Its Stock
By Spinning Off Payment-Services Unit

By

Carrick Mollenkamp Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Oct. 2, 2000 8:36 a.m. ET

ATLANTA -- Equifax Inc., seeking to energize its fatigued stock and simplify its story for investors, on Monday said it will slice itself in two.

The company, best known for collecting consumer and commercial credit information, will spin off to shareholders its lesser-known but faster-growing credit-card and check-transaction processing business. The board of Equifax approved the move Friday.